


The Regret Between Us

by flipflop_diva



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Developing Friendships, First Meetings, Gen, No Spoilers, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-28
Updated: 2016-05-28
Packaged: 2018-07-10 16:59:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6996820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flipflop_diva/pseuds/flipflop_diva
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There was a reason Steve wanted to meet his friends. Mostly because maybe they could give him something he couldn't. (Set post-AoU. AU for Civil War so definitely no spoilers.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Regret Between Us

**Author's Note:**

  * For [guineamania](https://archiveofourown.org/users/guineamania/gifts).



> Written as a gift for guineamania, who wanted to see Wanda meet Bucky. I wasn't sure if you had seen Civil War, so this one is set sometime post-Age of Ultron. I hope you enjoy!

It wasn’t the smoothest first meeting Steve could have hoped for, but then again, he figured it could have been a lot worse. At least there was no fighting, no use of powers, no red lights, no metal arms trying to choke people. Just a few harsh words and a few more glares.

Maybe he should consider it a success after all.

But as he looked over to see his friend’s sad eyes follow the girl out of the room, and later as he saw Wanda cast furtive glances his and Bucky’s way over dinner, her knew he couldn’t call it that quite yet. He had to keep trying.

•••

_“I’m not sure, Steve,” Bucky said, and he wouldn’t look at him. “Maybe I shouldn’t meet your friends.”_

_“You’ve already met Sam,” Steve argued. “That went fine. And Natasha. You’ve met her.”_

_“I tried to kill her twice.”_

_“Well, she’s very forgiving.”_

_Bucky attempted something of a smile at that, but Steve knew he was far from convinced. Not that he had expected anything different. Really, he didn’t know what he had expected. He had been so focused on finding Bucky, he hadn’t actually thought of what came after._

_He hadn’t thought of where Bucky should go when the whole world was looking for him (with him, was what he had always just figured, but that was before. That was when they were in D.C. That was before Ultron and before they moved into the compound and before he had a group of people he couldn’t let down). He hadn’t thought of if Bucky would want to come with him, if Bucky would want — or could even — be part of the Avengers. Maybe he would want to shed any sort of life that reminded him of what he’d been through, and living with a group of people who trained and fought and threw themselves into danger every day … Maybe Bucky didn’t want that. Maybe he couldn’t let himself want that._

_And then there was the team. What was one more person, he figured, but he also knew this was different. Bucky wasn’t just some enhanced soldier, and he couldn’t expect them to act like he was either._

_But he had to at least try._

•••

It wasn’t that he had been trying to leave them in a room together — but maybe he had been trying to leave them in a room together. He stood at the door, on his way back from picking up snacks, and watched them.

For a while there was nothing, just silence and awkward tension, both sets of eyes trained on the tv before them.

And then …

“I’m sorry.” Wanda spoke first. “About what I said before.”

Bucky glanced to the side, over at her. Steve could see his face relax just a touch. “Yeah,” he said. “Me too.”

“I should not have said anything,” Wanda continued. “After all, I volunteered for _this_.” She lifted her hand, fingers flying, a soft red glow appearing around them. “You did not ask for yours.”

“Definitely not.” Bucky almost sounded like he was holding back a laugh. He shrugged then. “You were young. You didn’t know what was going to happen.”

“I should have known.”

“Do you regret it?” Now Bucky turned to face her fully. 

“This?” Wanda waved her fingers again, red light flaring once more. A look of consternation was on her face. “I do not know.”

“You like it?”

“I like some of what it has brought me,” she said slowly. “But I am not sure it was worth the price I had to pay.”

“Your brother,” Bucky said. He didn’t make it a question.

Wanda nodded. Steve watched as they both fell quiet again.

“For what it’s worth, Steve thinks you’re a great asset,” Bucky told her after a moment. Steve could see Wanda smile.

“He is glad you are back,” she said.

“He is. And he is listening to our every word.”

Steve felt himself flush as Bucky turned around on the couch and gaze at him in a pointed fashion. “I know your mom taught you it was rude to stare,” Bucky told him. “So maybe get over here and join in.”

•••

_They were all waiting for him at the table they used for group meetings (and also meals, when they actually sat at a table and weren’t spread out all over the couches). Sam looked expectant as was Vision. Natasha gave away nothing, as always. Wanda, though, looked hesitant, like she just wasn’t sure about this._

_Steve had to turn around to make sure Bucky was following him. He was, but at a distance._

_“Everyone,” Steve said. “This is Bucky. Bucky, this is everyone.”_

_There were murmurs of greeting, a few nods. Wanda crossed her arms._

_“I thought he tried to murder people,” she said. “But we are supposed to live with him?”_

_“Wanda …” Steve started, but before he could even get the words out, Bucky had moved a step toward her._

_“I thought you tried to kill every single one of them here,” he said to her. “But they live with you.”_

_Wanda frowned. “That is different.”_

_“Is it?”_

_“Yes.” Her hand clenched — Steve saw — and he didn’t wait for red lights to start. “Okay,” he said, moving in front of Bucky. “We can worry about the logistics later.”_

_“It does not seem like anyone else is worried,” Wanda remarked. She stood up then. “That is fine. I can handle myself.”_

_She stalked from the room. Steve sighed. Not at all what he was hoping for._

•••

It took Wanda two weeks to say something to him about it, but when she did it was with a nudge to his side and a shy smile.

“He is nice,” she said. “I am sorry I judged him. I do not like when people do that to me.”

“He is nice,” Steve said. “I’m glad you two are making amends.”

They both looked across the room to where Bucky sat, deep in conversation with Rhodey.

“Yes,” Wanda agreed. “Me too.”


End file.
